Development of that future Cadillac, to be built on a new rwd platform dubbed Omega, is well under way, with a launch expected for the 2016 or 2017 model year, sources have said.
One source said GM decided that the pricier specialty car, referred to internally as the "flagship" Cadillac, wasn't a big enough departure from the large rwd sedan already in the works. The person said that Cadillac executives are weighing a number of other niche vehicles to push the boundaries of Cadillac's revitalized lineup.
GM CEO Dan Akerson told Automotive News in November that he expected the company to decide this year whether to move forward on a range-topping flagship. "This is a big bet for us," he said at the time.
Talk of an exotic flagship to sit atop Cadillac's lineup has swirled for years, since GM tantalized fans with the V-16-powered Cadillac Sixteen concept at the 2003 Detroit auto show.
In 2011, Cadillac drew raves at the Concours d'Elegance classic-car show in Pebble Beach, Calif., with its Ciel open-air concept, which designers said was meant to hint at styling elements of a future large sedan. One source says elements of the long, elegant Ciel are likely to be incorporated into the future 7-series fighter.
For more in-depth coverage of this story, see Page 1 of Monday's edition of Automotive News.
